BADIN, Sept 7: District Relief Committee chairman Syed Ali Bux Shah has directed the DCO to form two more teams and engage three more Tapedars to complete the survey of losses caused by the recent rains in the district.

At a meeting with the DCO, EDO, revenue, and the EDO, health, held here on Saturday, Mr Shah expressed his dissatisfaction over the performance of Tapedars in the work of assessing the losses. The meeting discussed the reasons for the inordinate delay in completion of the work.

DCO Mumtaz Ali Shah submitted a detailed report of the work done and said the revenue field staff would be asked to ensure early completion of the survey.

The relief committee chairman also directed the DCO to send letters to the Sindh chief minister, minister finance, chief secretary and the finance secretary to immediately release Rs500,000, granted by the federal government, so that the relief operation could be continued.

The DCO informed the meeting that a separate committee had been constituted to conduct a survey of damaged houses so that the affected families could be provided Rs5,000 each from the Zakat fund for repairing their houses. The Sindh government had released Rs15 million from the Zakat fund for the purpose, he added.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that no proper means and resources were being used to reconstruct damaged properties and rehabilitate the affected people of the rain-hit Badin district.

The people have complained that the process of assessing losses caused by the rains and consequent floods is too slow and only 20 per cent of the work has been completed. They said it would take a year to compensate the people for their losses if the process was not accelerated.

They demanded that authorities concerned should take notice of the matter and ensure that the people were provided with aid in time.

The assessment teams are facing difficulties as most of the Tapedars are not cooperating in the survey work and are giving preference to their other duties. The Tapedars in connivance with other revenue officials are avoiding to work in the field without receiving money from the relief committee.

MEETING: The monthly meeting of the Badin District Council convened for Friday was postponed for lack of quorum.